


Apocalyptic

by SheeWolf85



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Dismemberment, Gore, Happy Ending, Homophobia, I couldn't help myself, I don't know what else to tag, I probably missed something, M/M, Past Character Death, Physical Disability, Post-Apocalypse, Post-Zombie Apocalypse, Rus is bitten, Spicyhoney - Freeform, Survivors, Verbal Slurs, Violence, Zombie Apocalypse, a little bit of schmoop, as happy as this shit can get anyway, i don't think it's really bad gore, mention of past suicide, not too intense, these two belong together okay?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-08
Packaged: 2020-04-07 13:51:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19086355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SheeWolf85/pseuds/SheeWolf85
Summary: In the middle of a zombie apocalypse, Rus is bitten. He's scared--hell, he's terrified--but Edge is there to help him through this. And Edge? Well, he's already promised himself he won't lose anyone else. He'll do what's necessary to save Rus.Based on a tweet by @PeachScentedArt on Twitter. Thanks for the inspiration, hun; I hope this is satisfies a little of that craving.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [PeachScentedWriting](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeachScentedWriting/gifts).



> My dear Peach Scented Art - I now have your AO3 name! Have this gift! 
> 
> Sorry for the lame-ass title; I ran out of creativity. Or at least that's my excuse :D

The night was warm, summer heat permeating through the air. The moon was full this night, casting its eerie, silver glow on the world beneath. Trees swayed gently in the breeze and insects buzzed, making the park seem dangerously innocent. The calm of the night hid the creatures that lurked in the darkness.

The same creatures that had attacked two skeletons not an hour earlier as they hunted for supplies in an abandoned supermarket.

“i’m so sorry!” Rus whined, his breath coming in disjointed pants as he writhed on the floor next to his partner. His right arm was held up, magic dripping from the fresh bite wound the zombies had given him.  

They were back at their temporary home; an abandoned apartment in a building with enough security features that didn’t rely on electricity to keep mindless zombies from getting inside.

Edge watched Rus, panic building in the back of his mind. This was exactly how he’d lost his brother. Rus was all he had left in the world, and he’d made a promise to get him back to his own brother. He cleared his throat and reaffirmed a decision he’d made long ago: He would do whatever it took to survive and protect anyone in his charge.

“Shut up; you know this wasn’t your fault.” He took a second to look the wound over again. It was deep, enough to have affected his magic. It wasn’t healing on its own, which meant the infection had already started to take root. Any chances at healing the wound were dwindling fast.

“how the fuck was this not my fault? if i hadn’t eaten the last of the--”

Edge silenced him with a glare. “Do you have any fucking idea how much ‘what ifs’ will tear you apart? What if you hadn’t eaten the jerky? We still would have had to have gone out for supplies eventually. We do our best to only go out during the day, this is true, but you know as well as I do that night trips are as unavoidable as they are dangerous. We needed water, and so we went. Now shut up and let me think.”

“think about what, edge?” His voice shook as his eye lights stared up at Edge, so terrified and yet trusting. “do you think maybe it won’t affect me? it was a human that bit me, do you think maybe it doesn’t affect monsters?”

Human or not, the creatures' teeth always got sharper when they turned. No monster, even skeletal ones, were safe from their attacks. “That’s the panic talking, Rus. You know as well as I do that it affects humans and monsters equally.”

Rus looked down and sobbed, trying to pull his arm back from Edge’s grasp. He refused to let go.

As noisy as his sobs were, Rus didn’t speak again for a long while. Probably thinking about his own brother and the last time they’d spoken. Rus wanted to look for more survivors while Blue had wanted to find the sanctuary that spoke of a possible cure and safety in numbers. They’d agreed to disagree and go their separate ways, promising to meet at the sanctuary.

As Edge thought of how he was going to deal with this situation, his mind kept coming back to the same conclusion. It was something he’d wanted to do when his brother had been bitten, but Red wouldn’t hear it. He had refused to allow himself to become a burden on Edge, a liability that would only slow him down. He’d only lasted a night before he’d killed himself, unwilling to put Edge in any more danger by becoming one of their enemies.

Edge wouldn’t let that happen this time.

“I know how to fix this,” he announced.

Rus looked up at him, sockets still leaking steadily with panicked tears. “how?”

“I’m going to need you to trust me, okay?” Edge said slowly. “Can you do that for me?”

He nodded vehemently. “you know i always trust you, edge. always. just please tell me what you’re going to do.”

“I’m going to cut your arm off.”

Rus squeaked in horror and scrambled backward. “no! no, please, edge, don’t! please!”

“The infection is already starting to spread,” Edge said patiently. He would do anything if it meant saving Rus from this fate, but life was a cruel bitch with a manic sense of humor.

“no, i’m fine. i’ll be fine. please, edge, please...i don’t wanna die…”

Edge shuffled forward on his knees and took Rus by the hand. “Look at me,” he commanded softly. “I promise I’m not going to let you die, okay? But I need you to let me do this so I can keep that promise.”

Rus laid back against the dirty carpet and cried silently. As he did, Edge got up and gathered what he’d need. He wanted to make it fast, keep the pain to a minimum, and so he chose a small hatchet over a knife.

Back in the living room, Rus was lying unmoving on the ground where Edge had left him.

“Rus?”

He sniffled and turned his head to look at Edge. “yeah, i’m still with ya.” He sounded so broken.

“Good.” He knelt down next to Rus and positioned his arm. The bite was just below his elbow, spanning both his radius and ulna. Both bones were starting to turn black around the mark, the bone around it flaking painfully.

Edge pushed aside his own worry and fears and placed a towel under Rus’ arm to catch the infected limb. He then rolled up a second towel and held it out to Rus’ mouth.

“Bite on this, okay? I’m going to make it as fast as I can.”

Rus nodded and opened his mouth. He bit down gently on the towel, and Edge nodded at him.

“I can’t imagine how scary this is for you, Rus, but I need you to know how proud I am of you. You’re going to see your brother again, okay? Think of that.”

Edge did his very best to ignore Rus’ scared sobs as he got into position. His soul clenched with nausea as he tried not to think of what he was doing. He sucked in a deep breath, closed his eyes for a second to regain his composure, then brought the hatchet down as if he was chopping wood.

Rus’ scream echoed around the building. Edge turned and vomited onto the carpet. He didn’t allow himself time to feel bad; he turned right back around and inspected the procedure.

Rus’ severed arm was slowly dusting on the towel by his knees, and Rus was holding a bloodied stump and wailing. Edge immediately picked up the third towel he’d brought and leaned over to take Rus’ arm.

“It’s over,” he assured, wiping away magic and taking a moment to look at the stump. There was no sign that the infection had spread that far, but he had to make sure. The cut was jagged thanks to the nature of the hatchet, but the wound itself was clean. He’d have to heal it over a period of days; trying to heal something that big all at once would be a drain neither of them could afford to have right now.

“You did so good, Rus,” Edge said as he cleaned the stump again. “So good. I’m so sorry that had to happen, but it’s over and everything will be okay now.”

He helped Rus sit up, then took the water he’d brought in to better clean him up before pushing healing magic into the stump. Rus gasped, wincing back more cries as the pain of cauterization shot through him. As soon as the stump was no longer bleeding magic, Edge wrapped it up in gauze and turned to the severed limb.

It was halfway to dust, the infected portion blackened and still contagious if they weren’t careful. Edge took his time to wrap it up in the towel. They’d bury it where it would safely stay until the virus inside it finally died.

They would have to wait until morning. Neither of them were going to leave the apartment until the sun came up.

Edge did his best to clean up with what supplies they had. He remembered a time back before the outbreak when he would clean when he got bored and his home was always spotless. Making do with what he had was a lesson he’d learned as a child, and a part of him felt bitterly betrayed by life that he had to re-learn it.

“thank you, edge,” Rus mumbled much later. They’d eaten their dinner and Edge had re-wrapped the wound.

“You already know I won’t let you die. I’ve lost too many, I can’t lose you, too.”

Rus turned on the cot they shared. It was more for practicality than anything else, but they had been known to share it for more carnal reasons. Neither of them would use the beds in the apartment; it felt wrong on too many levels.

Edge helped him turn to avoid unnecessary pain to Rus’ stump. He relaxed carefully and reached up with his good arm to gently touch Edge’s cheekbone.

“i love you.”

Edge’s mind stalled; trying to wrap around those words was not happening. He probably meant as friends. Friends used those words sometimes, didn’t they? He cleared his throat and nodded.

“I suppose I could say the same back; you are a great friend to me.”

Rus shook his head. “no, edge, i mean, i _love_ you.”

He stared into Rus’ eye lights for a moment, trying to decipher his motives.

“you had no reason whatsoever to help me,” Rus continued. “i mean, when we first met. i was a bumbling idiot, out there trying not to die, and you have saved my life so many times. you helped me find shelter, you helped me gather food and other supplies, and you even helped me to look for others.”

“Yes, that’s all true.” He didn’t understand where Rus was going with this. “Except for the part where I had no reason to help you. I’ve always had my reasons, and at first it was because you had a mission to accomplish before you could get back together with your brother. I would give anything in the world to see my brother again, but unlike you, it’s impossible for me. I know how it feels.”

Rus nodded. “i almost died tonight. if it weren’t for you, i would have. i guess that’s not news, but it got close as shit tonight and i guess i realized that i have to tell you before it’s too late.  we get closer every day to where my bro said he’d be. we’re what, three days out? and every day, i get more and more worried that when we do get there you’ll say goodbye.”

Edge’s brow furrowed. “Why would I do that?”

“i don’t know. i mean, would you want to stay in a compound? it’d be so much safer than trying to rough it out here.” He shifted at sucked in a hissing breath at a rush of pain. Edge helped him find another comfortable position.

“I’ve never wanted to stay out on my own, Rus; you know that.”

“yeah, i do know that. but i guess what i’m trying to ask is if you might wanna stay with me? like, not just at the compound or whatever, but with me?”

A wave of peace washed over Edge as he thought of it, sleeping beside Rus even after they’d reached safety. He allowed himself a smile and nodded.

“I’d love that.”

Rus’ smile was beautiful. He gave Edge another kiss and tried to snuggle close. Edge once again helped him to find a good position.

* * *

**_Two Months Later_ **

“I don’t believe for a second that you can’t do it, Brother,” Blue said, his hands on his hips.

Rus stood in the field, a forlorn expression on his face as he stared at the ground with a rake held in his good arm.

“but it’s hard!” Rus whined.

“Yes, it is hard, but I believe in you! All it takes is some hard work and effort. And of course I’m here to help you, Brother. You know I’ll not let your disability get in your way.”

Rus did know that. From the moment they’d reached the compound, after they’d been searched and tested for any form of infection, and Blue had seen his stumped arm, he hadn’t been anything but supportive and ecstatically happy that Rus was alive.

Only a few people had said anything negative about it, but it seemed Blue and Edge were always quick to shut them up. Blue with talk about how mean it was to say something harsh about the disabled, and Edge with threats about giving them a first-hand look at how hard life with a disability could be.

Rus sighed as he thought about Edge. He was at work now, having been quickly employed by the compound’s military thanks to both his status as a veteran and his overall skills.

He looked down at his arm. He knew what Edge had done still ate at him. He’d never forgive himself, even if it had saved Rus’ life. With a determined nod, Rus took a second to maneuver the rake so he could use it properly.

Blue worked with him, talking him through his frustrations and helping him find a good way to hold the damn thing for maximum effectiveness.

The yard was finally raked just as Edge came home from work. He kissed Rus, declaring loudly how proud he was for what he’d done in the yard, then nodded at Blue before they all went inside to start dinner.

The world was still a mess. Zombies were still everywhere and life would never get easier. But, they all had each other, and for now, that was enough.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so...Um...What can I say for myself here other than I thought things and I wanted to see Edge face a group of survivors with maybe one or two being like "they've been bitten, they have to die" and he has to be like "back off, only I can make that decision" and things get kinda hairy and shit and yeah.
> 
> My original thought was to re-write the first chapter with other survivors in the room with Edge and Rus when he has to make the decision to amputate Rus' arm. The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized I actually wanted to write more on the concept I'd already started. So now you have this.
> 
> A few quick notes just to help you with the world we have here: Humans and monsters lived on the surface together forever. If they were ever underground, it was ages ago, but I don't think they ever were. No separate AU's here; they're all their own monsters. No fell, tale, or swap, either; they just are as they are. I guess. The compound is a 5- or 6-acre area that has been fenced off with a tall concrete fence with barbed wire, the whole thing you'd expect from a zombie safe-zone. Also, the outbreak happened about 6-7 years ago, so there's nothing new about zombies, but the majority of our characters vividly remember life before it and its initial stages. So, yeah. I'm putting Rus at about his mid- to late-thirties and Edge in his late twenties. 
> 
> The entire thing has been written, and I'm going to update once a day. It will be a total of five chapters. I swear on my life as a writer that I will not write more. This a terrible threat to make because it only means I'm going to write more. However, I'm hoping that by acknowledging this it will somehow short-circuit the whole curse thing and I'll actually be free of the temptation so I can go back to writing what I actually need to write. 
> 
> We'll see how well that works out, I guess. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this as much as it enjoyed using my brain. (I truly did love writing this, I'm just being sour about it because I was literally *this close* to finishing the next chapter of Filling the Void when this thing took over my life).

Edge couldn’t say that he disliked his job in the compound. It was actually rather fulfilling work; he was partly in charge of keeping everyone safe, both from outside zombie threats and from each other. 

One of the most dangerous, and yet most fulfilling, parts of the job were the occasional missions he would be asked to go on to search for other survivors. A few parties had been found during the year he and Rus had been living there, and it was always a treat to assure them that they were safe now. 

Every single person in the compound had a duty to contribute to their new society. Rus had quickly shown how bright he was (he had a past in medical sciences) and soon got recruited to work with their team of others to develop a cure, or at least a vaccination. 

After all, nobody wanted to spend the rest of eternity in a compound, no matter how spacious or stocked it was. 

Blue worked extensively with a team who grew their crops. He had a green thumb, as it were, and he had even helped to create a new system, resulting in a more sustainable crop yield. 

Even the elderly and disabled were given duties they could perform. No job was too small. If it was discovered that assigned duties were in fact too difficult for a person’s abilities, they were assigned to different work they could perform. Nobody was left out and nobody was given anything for free. 

During his time there, Edge had only ever encountered one person who thought they were too good to work for their food and shelter. They were quickly given the option to either do the work they were assigned, apply for different work, or get the hell out of the compound. They wisely chose to do the work they’d been assigned.

Edge’s respect for their small group of governors only grew after that incident. 

One evening, he was getting ready to go out on another expedition. Rus had already shown his dislike for them, and loudly. He hated that Edge was even asked to go out on them, but even more than that, he hated that Edge agreed. 

“Rus, please stop glaring at me like that,” he said tiredly. They’d had this argument too many times, and he was done with it. 

Rus sighed in irritation. “well, you get pissy when i talk to you, so what else am i supposed to do?”

“No, I get pissy when you tell me not to leave. I have to do this, Rus. You understand that, don’t you?”  He turned to look at Rus. The stump of his right arm still sent a pang of guilt through his soul. He knew it had been the right thing to do, that if he hadn’t done it he would have lost Rus entirely, but it didn’t help erase the memories of his scream or the utter terror in his sockets that day. 

Rus raised the stump. “why? because of this? because this was your idea? you saved my fucking life, edge. i owe everything i have now to you. do you have any idea how much it would kill me if i lost you?”

He did his best not to wince. This was all the same, tired argument they had every time, and it still never got easier to hear. 

“No. I have to do this because there are others out there who need us. We try to send out the messages, but not everyone has access to a radio that can pick up a signal. Not everyone out there knows we even exist, and I...I can’t just sit back knowing I could be out there saving lives.”

“you could also be out there dying!” Rus shouted, raising both his full arm and stump in a frustrated gesture. “you’re gone for weeks at a time, edge, and i have no possible way of knowing if you’re still alive or if you’re ever going to come home to me. tell me how i’m supposed to just accept that, please!”

Edge sucked in a breath, trying his best to be patient. He knew this was hard on Rus. Hell, it was hard on him leaving Rus, not being able to be there with him every night and see for himself that he was still doing okay. 

“What if it was your brother?” Edge asked, low. “What if Blue was still out there? You’d be insisting you go out yourself, I know you would. So please, let me help give some of these families here at least a little ray of hope. Maybe we’ll never find their brothers or sisters or children, but we have to try.”

Rus sniffled and turned his back on Edge to walk out of the room. He’d just hit a nerve, he knew, but sometimes it was the only way to get him to stop. 

An hour later, as he was walking out the door, Rus stopped him by grabbing his arm. Without a word, Rus pushed him against the wall and kissed him hard. Both arms grabbed at him, his stump pressing sharply into his chest, as he kissed with wild abandon. 

Edge held him close and kissed him back. A part of him wished he had time to take them both back to their bedroom, but he couldn’t afford to be late. These missions relied heavily on cooperation on all fronts, and leaving late could throw off their timing. 

He pulled back from the kiss, pushing Rus back enough to speak. 

“I’m sorry, I have to go.”

Rus nodded and squeezed his sockets shut. “i know you do. just...come back to me, okay? come home safely, in one piece, with all of your pieces. i mean it.”

Edge gave him a light kiss. “I’ll do my best.”

“i love you.”

“I know. I love you, too.” One more kiss. “I have to leave now.”

Rus finally backed away, and Edge did his best to pretend he didn’t see the tear mark its way down his cheekbone. If he let himself acknowledge Rus’ tears, he’d definitely be late. 

The walk to the military base was short. After a few months of living with Blue, their current home had opened up when the residents at the time had gotten pregnant and wanted a larger space. Rus and Edge were a decently established couple by that time, and nobody had contested them living together in their own home. 

It only became an even better arrangement when Rus had gotten hired on at the medical lab, only a block and a half away from the military base. 

He walked right to his unit, using the few minutes his approach took to survey their progress. He didn’t bother with niceties; instead, he got right to work where it seemed it was needed most. 

Nobody talked to him as they worked. They didn’t need to; Edge wasn’t here to make friends. He had Rus to do that for him. He felt a smile pull at his mouth as he thought it; Rus would have smacked him for that. 

In truth, both he and Rus had plenty of friends in and out of work. Rus was the more approachable of the two, but Edge had earned himself a following by protecting those in his care. Which was, in his opinion, the entire compound.

Soon enough, the trucks were loaded and all of their supplies were on board. 

The truck they’d be riding in was more a tank than an actual truck, designed to allow them all a chance to be on lookout and attack if necessary. All of the trucks in the fleet had been designed to run on a mix of solar power and a corn-based fuel that was relatively inexpensive to produce with their crop yields as they were. Out on a mission, they could rely purely on solar power so they wouldn’t have to weigh themselves down with fuel of any kind.

Edge sat in the truck with his weapon propped in front of him as all the others were. The ride was mostly silent at the beginning, as usual, only a few conversations between the group’s members carrying throughout the small space. 

One woman named Carly was talking animatedly about how her boy was going to be starting school soon. He was a lizard monster she’d adopted in the compound after it was confirmed his parents had been turned. She went on about his interests, stating that he just loved to paint and draw. She had a small paper with her, something he’d colored for that morning, and showed it to those closest to her. They all smiled and agreed that he was a talented young boy.

Another person, his name was Brady, spoke of his wife. She was pregnant with their first child and due in a month. He hoped to be back from the mission before she gave birth. He sounded so happy and hopeful it almost made Edge smile just hearing him speak. 

Brady started passing around a picture of him and his wife together, and Edge took a moment to look at it when it was handed to him. Neither were particularly nice looking--granted, they were both humans--but something in the way they were smiling together reminded him of himself and Rus. 

They had talked about marriage before, but not in the context of each other. It had been a quick conversation, mostly in passing after hearing of a couple who wanted to get married.

According to Rus, it was a washed-up concept meant for people who believed in consequences after death. To Edge, it meant swearing your life to one person, putting all your faith and love and trust on one person and hoping they never broke it. It was something he’d thought he’d never have the chance to do; he simply didn’t trust easily for reasons he could contribute to his childhood. 

He pushed the thought away and listened as conversations got louder and the heat grew more invasive under the afternoon sun. 

By the time they made it to their first checkpoint, all of the people in the truck were sweating and ready to get out. They made a quick sweep of the area, checking for any zombies that may have invaded since their last trip. Once the building had been secured, both inside and out, they unpacked only enough supplies for a single night.

After a quick dinner of snack bars and protein shakes, Edge and the others lay on their cots to sleep. He still listened to conversations around him but also thought of Rus. He wished he could kiss his boyfriend goodnight, see his face as he drifted off to sleep. Instead, he closed his eyes and sent a thought to him. 

_ I love you. _

* * *

It was two weeks into the mission before they found anything that might suggest there were survivors nearby. They’d travelled past their last checkpoint by three full days and were searching for another place to set up.

Edge had tasked himself and Carly with securing the inside of a building. They moved swiftly together, efficient in their sweep, and soon they had secured all but one room. 

The room was locked, which was not unusual. Edge took a moment to pick the lock, not willing to destroy a barrier between themselves and zombies, and soon they were granted entrance. 

The inside smelled of cooked meat, and Edge and Carly looked at each other for a few long seconds before they went to see what it was coming from. 

Wrappers from various candies were littered around the kitchen area. Sitting in the middle of the floor was a small coal-burning barbecue. Edge leaned down and tested the side; it was cold. He then sifted through the ash inside. It certainly didn’t look very old. 

“I think this has been used recently,” he said.

Carly nodded. “Okay, so how many people do we think were holed up here?”

Edge took a moment to look around, snooping around the bedrooms and bathroom. The bedrooms each had unmade beds, which could mean nothing at all, but something told him they were unmade because they’d been slept in recently. The bathroom reeked of human filth. A bucket sat beside the toilet and a bag for used cloth or leaves was beside it. 

“At least two or three. There were some toys in the larger bedroom that suggest there may be children.”

Carly scanned the bedroom, a sad expression overtaking her features. “What if we’re too late?”

“And what if we’re not?” Edge asked. He reached out and placed a reassuring hand on her arm. “I promise you, Carly, ‘what ifs’ will tear you apart. Focus on the people we  _ can  _ save, okay?”

She smiled at him and nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Lieutenant.”

“You know my name.”

“Yeah, but--”

“No.”

“Fine,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Thanks, Edge.”

He nodded curtly and stepped back, going back to their duties. Once the room was secured, they left to go back and report their findings. 

* * *

The small group of survivors was found the next morning. They had gone in search of supplies and been out longer than they’d anticipated when their son, a four-year-old boy with golden hair and adorably freckled cheeks, had gotten scared and refused to come out of a hiding place he’d found under a register. 

They had been lucky to survive the night; they’d stayed quiet and hidden within a storeroom at the back of the store they’d been in. 

Meredith, the mother, was hesitant to accept the military’s offer for sanctuary, but the father, Thomas, was thrilled. They gave the family time to talk it over, and soon enough they’d agreed to join and go back to the compound.

Edge was delighted. Finding survivors was rare enough; finding a child who hadn’t already turned was an absolute treat. 

The boy’s name was Kaden, and he was as quiet as could be. He never spoke, not even to his parents. They said he’d been like that his whole life, probably too scared to make a sound in case they drew the attention of zombies. 

Edge could tell Meredith was hesitant to explain about her son’s lack of verbal prowess. She stumbled over the word “monster” as she talked about the zombies, her eyes flickering to him several times as she chose different words. He understood; humans used the term to mean many unpleasant things, but he did appreciate her attempt at tact when speaking around him. 

Another week passed when they found the second group of survivors. They were getting ready to head back to the compound when they heard gunshots. Edge, Brady, and Henry, another member of Edge’s team, went to investigate. 

They found two men, both humans in their late twenties, who were using zombie corpses for target practice. The zombies had already been killed, two human women from the looks of their decomposed remains. 

Edge sneered; the use of humans as target practice, even ones who had turned, was disgusting on so many levels. He had to wonder if the fact that they had once had lives and families mattered at all to the men. 

Regardless, the two men were happy to join the group and go back to the compound. The entire walk back to the checkpoint was filled with their chatter about how many zombies they’d killed, human and monster alike, and how useful they’d be once they reached the compound. 

John, the taller, thicker of the two men and the one with curly, brown hair, stated that he had experience exterminating zombies and would be great at clearing a path if needed. Peter, the shorter, lankier one with a scar twisting through his left cheek and up into his hair, suggested rather crudely that he could help increase the compound’s human population. 

“That won’t be necessary,” Edge said sharply. “There’s no shortage of families, and the last thing we need is an overpopulation. We’re able to sustain everyone comfortably with what we have.”

“So, what, are you the one in charge then?” John asked, jogging forward to walk next to Edge.

“Of this expedition? Yes.”

“Hmm. And the compound?”

There was something about these two that Edge didn’t like. He wasn’t as sensitive to intent as Rus was, but he could feel it when it was strong. The only thing he could really sense from either of them was a will to survive. 

“You’ll meet everyone when we get there. Until then, I am your commanding officer.” He never liked asserting his position or dominance over anyone else. He much preferred it if he could see his people as equals, and many of them had told him how much they appreciated his opinion on the matter. He was no more important than anyone else just because of his status.

However, he’d learned from experience that asserting dominance over the overtly combatant type was a necessity. If they thought for one moment that Edge was not comfortable being in charge, they could easily try to overthrow him.

‘Try’ being the operative word.

John fell back then, getting back in line with Peter. 

Back at the checkpoint, Edge took a moment to introduce their two newcomers to everyone else, and vice versa. He showed them around as he’d done with the family and instructed them on how they were able to use supplies. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Another huge thank you to @PeachScentedArt for their idea. I'd love to hear your thoughts, comments, guesses as to who will be bitten, anything you wanna share!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warnings in the end notes, my lovelies. 
> 
> So, I forgot to include in the story that Edge’s group has about 8 members. I don’t see that being crucial to know, but now you know it!

They were one week away from home when Sam approached Edge, wringing her hands together in front of her nervously.  She stood in front of him silently, head down and staring at her boots. She was one of their newer recruits, having only been at the compound for six months and in the military for four.

Edge waited. He could feel her uneasiness and knew that something was wrong. He’d give her a moment to say it and only force the issue if he had to.

Finally, she sucked in a deep breath and looked up at him. Her deep blue eyes were full of fear.

“I’m so sorry,” she breathed, tears shining in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Lieut--I mean, E-Edge. I thought I counted better. I thought we had enough.”

Edge’s brow furrowed. “What are we low on?” He was never one for skirting around the issue. The faster the problem was coughed up, the faster it could be resolved.

Sam sniffled and squared her unusually broad shoulders, an attempt at making herself feel more confident, Edge assumed. 

“Not low on. Out of.”

He nodded. “Okay. So, what are we out of?”

After another deep breath, she finally spit it out. “Rubbing alcohol and bandages. The little boy just fell and scraped his knee, and we have nothing to clean the wound with.”

“When you counted, did you take into consideration any survivors we may encounter?” he asked. 

He watched as the color drained from her face. She had obviously been hoping that it wasn’t her fault, but it seemed it was after all. 

She shook her head. “No. And I didn’t consider we might find a child. They’re so prone to injury. He had to have his whole arm wrapped last week when he got burned.”

He had known that. 

Edge reached out a hand to her shoulder. “It was an honest mistake,” he said softly. “One I know you’re not the first to make. However, we have another week and supplies like that are going to be crucial to avoid infection among the humans.”

He didn’t offer to try to heal the boy. Humans knew monsters had healing magic, but they all assumed it only worked on other monsters. Edge was perfectly happy keeping it that way.

“I want you to gather a few people, let them know what’s going on but don’t put the blame on yourself. According to our maps, there’s an old pharmacy about a half a day from here where we can search for supplies. Hopefully it hasn’t been picked over too heavily.”

Sam hesitated on something for a moment before she shook her head. “Yes, Sir--Oh! Sorry, Edge...I know you don’t like being called ‘Sir’.”

“What did you need to say, Sam?” If she had reservations, he needed to know. 

She quirked her mouth and seemed to deliberate for another moment before she finally sighed. “It’s just that...you really trust me putting a team together? I’m the newest person on this kind of team and this is my first mission.”

“Yes, and you’re also a great soldier. You work well with the others, and they seem to trust you. I’m asking you to do this because I’m busy and I need to know that I can delegate as I see fit. If you have a real problem with it, then tell me now. Otherwise, go do as I’ve asked.”

Sam nodded and smiled at him. “Of course. Thank you.”

He wasn’t entirely sure what she was thanking him for, but he let it go. Instead of asking, he just nodded and turned back to the maps he was studying, making sure they stayed on the quickest path home, and listened to her footsteps retreat. 

* * *

The supply run was quick; Sam and the others she had asked to go with her were brutally efficient. They were in and out in a hurry, each carrying a bag with the supplies they needed and a few extra treats they’d found. 

When they returned to the checkpoint, Edge declared the rest of the day should be spent out in the sun. Morale was getting low, even as close as they were to the compound, and it was imperative that spirits be kept up to survive the rest of the trip without irrational outbursts of anger or anything else that might hinder their progress. 

Next to the checkpoint was a large, open park with a playground and swing set. After securing the area and delegating watchers, the others were free to play as they wished.

Meredith pushed Kaden on a swing while Thomas joined a few of Edge’s soldiers in a small game of catch. John and Peter chose to spar with each other, throwing punches and eagerly taunting each other.

Edge chose to keep watch. He couldn’t relax unless he knew all of his people were safe, and the only way to do that was to keep an eye out for zombies. 

Just before sunset, Edge called for everyone to go back inside. Most everyone went easily enough. Everyone except their youngest member.

Kaden clung to the metal chain of the swing and kicked at his mother as she tried to force him off. Thomas went to help, and as he put his hands on Kaden’s ribs to lift him off the swing, the normally silent child let out a shrill scream.

He stopped almost immediately, fear and guilt appearing suddenly on his tiny features. He still refused to let go of the swing but looked around anyway, searching for any sign of zombies. 

Edge was in the middle of checking everyone in. He looked at Brady and nodded toward the family. Brady nodded back in acknowledgement and went to see how he could help get the boy to come inside.

His attention was on what he was doing, not on his surroundings as it should have been. He didn’t even realize anything was going on until there was a shout.

“Behind you!” 

It had come from Brady over by the family. Edge’s head jerked up and he looked toward the sound in time to see Thomas get tackled to the ground by a zombie.

“Fuck! No! There’s more of them!”

Edge’s group was already filing back out of the checkpoint, weapons at the ready. 

The zombies were only five in number, likely due to the sun still lighting the sky. Edge and his group were easily able to take care of all of them. 

Thomas had been able to fight off the one who had attacked him, saying he wasn’t bitten. Regardless, Edge insisted he be checked thoroughly by Nathan, the military doctor he had chosen to be with him on this trip. Thomas agreed, saying it was better to be absolutely certain.

“You don’t even have a scrape!” Nathan said, bewildered. “I don’t know how you got that lucky, but you did.” 

A quick headcount after the checkpoint had been secured told Edge he still had everyone he should have. He smiled to himself as he made a note not to say a word about this to Rus. He’d only add it to his arsenal of reasons Edge should just stay home. 

Later in the evening, after a dinner of canned meat and a medley of vegetables had been served and eaten, Edge was sitting by himself reading and sipping some of Rus’ favorite tea--too sweet by his standards, but it felt like Rus--when he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. 

He looked over, surprised to see little Kaden sitting next to him. He didn’t look up, didn’t say a word, only sat there next to Edge with pain, worry, and fear radiating off of him like a thick summer heat. 

Edge sat his cup down on the makeshift table in front of him. 

“Good evening, Kaden,” he started. He figured there had to be a reason he chose to sit there, a reason why he was so terrified. Perhaps someone had hurt him? 

His thoughts immediately turned to both John and Peter. He’d skin the pair of them if they’d laid a hand on this boy. 

“Is everything okay?” he tried. He knew it wasn’t, but he didn’t want to demand the boy speak to him when he wouldn’t even speak to his parents. 

To his surprise, Kaden shook his little blonde head. He looked up then, and the sight of tears streaming down his face made Edge’s soul lurch.

“What’s wrong?”

Kaden sucked in several quick, sharp breaths before he steadied himself. He swallowed, then looked back down as he slowly lifted his left arm. 

His jacket sleeve had been pulled up. Edge’s soul went cold. There, on his tiny wrist was a blackened bite mark with tendrils of infection spidering out in his veins. 

“I see,” he managed to choke. He had to handle this delicately but quickly. Nathan might be able to help. He sure as fuck didn’t want to take an axe to a four-year-old’s arm, but he would if it came down to that.

Kaden sobbed and looked back up at Edge. His lips quivered. Edge nodded and reached out to gently take his hand. 

“Thank you for coming to me with this. Does your mother know?”

He nodded. Edge’s brow furrowed. How could she know and not say anything? 

“Did she tell you to come show me?” Perhaps she hadn’t wanted to risk anyone hurting her child. He could understand that. 

But Kaden shook his head. He swallowed again and opened his mouth, shut it, then opened it again. 

“She told me to keep it a secret,” he whispered. “She said I couldn’t tell anyone or they’d kill me.”

Edge studied Kaden’s face for a long moment. There was such conviction in those tiny features, his eyes overflowing with fear were also hard and determined. 

“Did you come to me with this expecting me to kill you?” Edge asked. His soul pounded painfully hard. This poor child…

Kaden nodded, his lips trembling again. “I don’t wanna be one of them. I don’t want to hurt my parents. Will you make it fast?”

Edge pulled him into a hard hug against his side, leaning over to speak against his hair. 

“You don’t have to die, Kaden, and you don’t have to become a zombie either. There’s a doctor on my team who I think can help you. Can you trust me?”

He felt the boy nod against his ribs. 

“Good. Stay here and let me go talk to Nathan, okay? He’s our doctor.”  He pulled back and carefully re-covered the wound with the boy’s sleeve. “Don’t let anyone else see that until I come back.”

Kaden nodded again, and Edge got up. He sucked in a breath as he went to find Nathan. 

“Are you fucking serious?” Nathan demanded after Edge had told him what was going on. 

“Have you ever known me to be anything else?” Edge asked. 

The doctor sighed and ran a hand over his face. “You want me to amputate a little boy’s arm? He’s just four years old, for fuck’s sake!”

“I’m aware of that, and the fact is that he won’t live to see five years old if we don’t stop the infection from spreading. Unless you have a cure hidden somewhere in your clothing, you’re going to help me perform this procedure.”

Nathan looked up at the ceiling and sighed. “Fine. But I’m not helping you with shit; you’re the one helping me.”

Edge nodded curtly and turned to go deliver the news. 

As he walked back into the large family room, he noticed immediately things were wrong. Meredith had Kaden tucked behind her, both of them trapped in a corner by Peter and John.

“What’s going on here?” Edge asked as he stepped up to the group. 

“He’s been bitten!” John spat.

Meredith shook her head. “No, no he’s fine!”

“He’s fucking bleeding,” Peter added. “You can’t tell me what happened. Tell me that’s not suspicious, Monster.”

Edge bristled. “I have a name. If you can’t use it, then you can refer to me as Lieutenant.”

“Just give us the boy and no one will get hurt,” John said slowly, reaching out to Meredith. She swatted his hand away. He took a step closer, raising his hand. 

Edge stepped in front of him and caught his arm, using it to push him back. “Both of you need to back off right now,” he snapped.

“The boy’s been bitten! What are we going to do? Let him turn and kill us all?”

“No. We’re going to help him.”

Meredith gasped. “What?”

“Bullshit! What the fuck kind of lieutenant are you if you can’t do what has to be done?” Peter asked, spitting in his anger. 

Edge glared. “What kind of survivalist are you if you can’t even try to save a child?”

He turned only enough to speak to the woman behind him.

“I’ve already spoken with our doctor. Take your son the back room and you’ll find them setting up in there.”

Peter inched closer to Edge. He was shorter by a good three inches. John was a little closer to his height. He could see in both of their eyes the eagerness to take command of the whole group. All they’d have to do is eliminate the current lead. 

As Meredith slipped past Edge with her son in tow, John reached out and grabbed the boy by the arm. He violently tugged him free of her grasp and picked him up, holding him in a headlock. 

Edge didn’t have time to think about how he might react. Sam, Brady, and Carly were with him in an instant. Peter was tackled to the ground by Sam, and Brady and Carly teamed up against John to get Kaden out of his hold. The moment he was free, Edge and Brady pushes John back up against the wall. Edge shoved his elbow into John’s throat, holding pressure to keep him from attacking further. 

“He’s been bitten!” John shouted. 

Carly looked at Edge, eyes wide. “Edge? Is that true?”

He nodded. “Yes, it’s true. There’s still time to save him, but it’s running out quickly. Please, take him to Nathan!”

“But--”

“Carly,” Edge interrupted. “Do you trust me?”

She nodded without hesitation. “Of course I do.”

“Then trust me now. Think of your son. If that was your boy, wouldn’t you do anything to save him?”

Her eyes watered and she nodded once before lifting Kaden into her arms and rushing him down the hall. Meredith followed closely behind. 

“You’ve just killed us all,” John spat. 

“You will learn to control yourself and follow orders,” Edge said, pressing harder against John’s throat. “Or you will find yourself back out there in the open.“

John talked a big game, but it was clear in the way he swallowed and shifted that he didn’t want that. He’d found safety and some relative comfort.

“We help each other here; my team listens to me and trusts me because I have earned their trust. You better believe I’m willing to do what I need to do to protect them all, and that includes eliminating the threat of people like you who can’t help but act before you think.

“If the infection has spread too far, _if_ we can’t save him, then I will make the call. Nobody else makes that decision, do you hear me? Nobody else. And if it has to happen, I’ll be the one to do it.”

That had been a rule of his since he’d been put in charge of his own missions. This was the first time it had been a child, however, and while Edge knew he would do what was necessary without hesitation, he also knew how much it would affect him to have to kill a kid. 

“Do you understand and agree?” Edge asked. 

John and Peter both looked around them, seeing Edge’s soldiers backing him up. They both nodded. 

Edge pushed away from him and immediately stalked away to check on Kaden and the progress of the procedure. 

Among the medical supplies they’d been able to get at the pharmacy was morphine. They didn’t have what was needed to safely put the boy out, but morphine was a second best. They’d already given him enough to take as much pain away as possible and had put a tourniquet around his upper arm. 

Edge settled a hand on Meredith’s shoulder. “You don’t want to watch this,” he said softly. 

She sniffled and followed him out of the room. Just around the corner, she turned and looked at him. “He showed you, didn’t he?”

He nodded. “Yes, he did.”

“He’s so smart. He knew you’d help him.”

Edge coughed. “Actually, he came to me because he thought I would kill him quickly. You had convinced him that if he told anyone, he would be killed. Do you realize the danger you put us all in?”

She nodded and looked down at the ground. “I just...I couldn't lose my baby. Not like that.” 

“So losing him to a zombie virus is better?” Edge was truly trying to understand her motives. 

She shot a look at him. “Of course not!” she hissed. “But I thought if we kept it to ourselves, we’d have at least another day or two with him before...before he turned.”

“And took out half our people. Did your husband know?”

He watched her face closely as she answered. Shame filled her features and she hesitated before she shook her head. 

“No. I didn’t want him to know. He would only blame himself for not getting us inside faster.”

He would believe her for now, but he’d still have to talk to Thomas. “Listen, Meredith, I can’t pretend to know what you must be feeling. I don’t have children of my own. But this does not give you an excuse to put the rest of us in danger like that. If we can’t trust you to be honest about any threats to the entire compound’s safety, then you and your family will not be allowed to stay there. Am I clear?”

She was silent and still for a long moment before she finally nodded. “Yes. I’m sorry; I just--”   


“I know. Don’t let it happen again.”

Edge turned and moved around her to go back into the room and see what he might be able to do to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: a child is bitten and must have a limb amputated. Threat of bodily harm and/or murder to a child.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a warning for this chapter - mentions of past child abuse. Also, Rus isn't dealing with Edge being gone very well. They talk about it, and life before the outbreak is explored a bit. 
> 
> Enjoy!

The surgery was a success. The infection had spread so far that Nathan had to amputate his entire arm up to his shoulder, but at least he was going to live. 

They were only one day out when Kaden started to develop a fever. Thanks to the medicines they’d gathered, Nathan was able to keep it mostly under control until they made it back to the compound. 

As per protocol, every single member of the mission was quarantined and tested for zombie infection before they were allowed to enter the compound proper. Edge pushed to have Kaden tested first as he was most in need of medical care. 

As soon as the boy was declared not a threat and only suffering from a normal infection due to the amputation, he was rushed to the medical unit to care for his fever. 

Neither John nor Peter cared for the protocol one bit, declaring that their word should be good enough. Edge rolled his eye lights. Now that they were back, he could safely say he was no longer in charge and they were not his concern anymore. He’d let Captain Undyne deal with them and see how long they lasted under her watch. 

A wicked smirk spread over his face as he thought of her putting them in their place. 

“What are you smiling about, Edge?” Carly asked as she sat next to him. 

He sat up straighter and shrugged. “Nothing in particular.” 

She elbowed him gently. “Liar. You’re thinking of your boyfriend, aren’t you? Eager to get back home?”

“I am. I’ve missed him so much.” He let himself think of Rus and how the first night back from any mission was always filled with his luscious cries of passion. 

“I bet.” 

Before she could say anything else, her name was called for testing. She smiled brightly before she hopped up and made her way over to the attendant. 

Edge waited his turn. He always wanted to be last, to make sure that everyone else was cared for first. 

His name was finally called. He got up and made his way over to the attendant only to be shocked when Undyne herself walked out of the small room behind them. 

“Heya, punk!” she yelled. “How’s it feel to be home?”

He smiled indulgently. “I’m not home yet, am I?”

“Well, close enough. Hey, I gotta ask, where the fuck did you pick up those two morons?”

“I was told to find survivors. I found survivors. I don’t get to pick and choose their demeanor.” 

Undyne shrugged and slapped a hand on Edge’s shoulder. “So I’m gonna need a favor.”

Shit. This already didn’t sound good. “Does it have anything to do with you stalling my testing?” Rus would outright murder him if he had to turn right back around and leave again.

She stepped back and chortled in her loud, obnoxious way, and gestured for the attendant to go ahead with the test while she spoke. 

“I’m not sure where these guys are going to get assigned for work. They both have a problem with authority big time, and I know they’re gonna be even bigger pains in the asses of everyone around them if they end up with a woman or a monster for a boss. I kinda hope they do, because you and I both know they need a good kick in their reality filter.” 

Edge nodded, not bothering to wince as the needle pierced his soul for a sample of his magic. He’d been through this time and again; one more time was nothing. 

“So you’re asking me to keep an eye on them and make sure they don’t cause trouble?”

“You got it!” Undyne laughed and slapped his shoulder again. 

“So long as I get to hand them back to you if and when they do cause trouble, then I will do as you ask.” He was already dreading this new assignment. As much pride as he took in keeping his little community safe, he knew those two were nothing but trouble. 

“Not me, no. They’ve already gotten themselves in hot water because of how they chose to speak to me. If they get in trouble, they go right to Asgore.”

Oh, this was even better. Asgore was one of the founders of the compound and regarded by many to be their president. The monsters in the community trusted him to keep them safe from the humans’ intent, while the humans that governed alongside him had helped to set the rules to protect all, human and monster alike. 

Unlike the other humans that governed with him, however, he had a way of commanding that didn’t feel like he was commanding. His approach was more paternal, and most people in the compound responded well to that kind of leadership.

“You’re clean,” the attendant announced, stripping off their gloves. 

Edge nodded his thanks and stood up, straightening his clothes as he walked through the doors behind Undyne.

“Alright, I accept,” he said easily. “I’ll keep tabs on them. Oh, hey...one more thing.”

He’d been thinking about this for a while now, and only with this last mission was his mind made.

Undyne stopped and turned to him. “Whatcha got?”

“I would appreciate it if I wasn’t asked to go on any more missions for a while. Rus needs me at home.”

Undyne nodded, understanding gleaming in her one good eye. Neither of them had to say anything about Kaden or the close call they’d had. It wasn’t the entire reason, but it was the deciding factor. Edge simply couldn’t put himself through that anymore. At least, not for a while. 

“I’ll take your name off the list.”

“Thank you.”

* * *

Rus was waiting for him outside the base. The moment Edge stepped outside, Rus was running up to him. He all but tackled him, throwing himself at Edge with everything he had. 

Edge was prepared and only stumbled backward a little as he caught his love in his arms. The kiss they shared was full of passion and promise, and for a brief moment, Edge forgot they were standing in the middle of a parking lot. 

Rus finally managed to pull away, blushing as he noticed people watching them. 

“you’re finally home,” he breathed. 

Edge nuzzled his cheekbone. “I told you I’d come back to you.”

“no, you said you’d do your best. that’s not the same.” He hugged Edge hard. “dammit, i love you, and i’m so happy you’re home. i heard what happened with that little boy. did you…” he trailed off, his eye lights darting to the stump of his right arm. 

“No. I only supervised. I figured a human doctor would be much more qualified to perform that procedure on another human.” 

Rus nodded and pulled Edge in for another hug. “i’m so proud of you. i know i was mad before you left, but you’re right; you save people all the time, just like you saved me. they’re lucky to have you leading their missions.”

Edge leaned in and kissed him again. “As true as that may be, I’ve asked Undyne to take me off that list. I won’t be going out again for the foreseeable future.”

Rus’ face fell in surprise, and for a few long seconds, he could only stare. Edge was starting to feel like perhaps he’d done the wrong thing before he suddenly smiled so brightly and bounced on his toes in Edge’s hold. 

“for real?” he asked, sounding breathless.

Edge nodded curtly. “For real.”

“oh...edge.” Rus sniffled and if his smile got any bigger it would tear his face in half. “i can’t...i mean, i have wanted this for so long, and now it’s finally happening and i’m just so happy i’m going to cry.”

Edge hugged him gently. “I love you.”

“i love you, too. so damn much.”

“Excuse me...Lieutenant?” 

Edge pulled back and looked over to see Brady walking up to him with his wife beside him. In her arms was a small bundle wrapped in pastel blankets. 

“Yes?” 

“I’m sorry to bother you. This is my wife, Cathy. She wanted to come over and, um…”

Cathy smiled and stepped forward. “I wanted to thank you for getting my husband home safely. I know how important these trips are, but thanks to you and the rest of your team, this little one’s daddy made it home. Do you want to meet her?”

Edge swallowed and looked at Rus. He wasn’t as used to being pulled into others’ lives as Rus was. His involvement with others usually only extended to how he could help them. 

Rus grinned. “we’d love to meet her. i’m his boyfriend, rus. what’s her name?”

Cathy smiled softly and carefully pulled the blanket from the baby’s face. “This is Nancy. We named her after Brady’s grandmother.”

“That’s a beautiful name,” Edge commented. 

“Thanks, Lieut--”

“I have a name,” he said flatly. 

Brady huffed in amusement. “Right, yeah. I’ve heard you don’t like that. Sorry. Thank you, Edge.”

He held out a hand and Edge shook it. “It was my pleasure.” He turned his attention to the baby in Cathy’s arms. 

The girl was tiny, even for a human baby. Nancy was hardly the first baby he’d ever seen, but she was certainly adorable. Her little pink cheeks held a certain charm that nearly made him want to hold her. He resisted the urge and instead only touched a fingertip to her nose. 

Her gray eyes fluttered open for a second before she yawned and squirmed, then settled back into her mother’s embrace. 

“oh!” Rus squeaked beside him. “oh, edge, did you see that?”

Edge smiled at his boyfriend. “It would be hard to miss.”

“Do you want to hold her?” Cathy asked, looking at Rus. 

“fuck yeah! oh!” he covered his mouth with his hand. “sorry...i mean, uh, yeah that’d be cool.” 

She helped Rus figure out the best way to hold the baby with one arm, using his right stump to carefully nudge her tiny legs. He looked at Edge with such happiness shining in his sockets. 

Edge took a moment to appreciate the sight of his boyfriend holding a child. He made a mental note to thank Cathy later for not making a big deal about Rus’ missing arm. 

Rants and hurt feelings about what he couldn’t do had once been a daily occurrence that was now down to once every other week, but they were still too many. She probably had no idea how much her easy acceptance of Rus as he was helped to boost his self-esteem. 

“you should hold her, too,” Rus said, looking at Edge. 

“Would you like to?” Cathy asked. 

He figured it couldn’t hurt. He glanced briefly at Brady, who was watching his wife with love and pride. He took the baby carefully and cradled her in his arms. She squirmed briefly before settling down. 

Rus made a soft sound that was a little too close to discomfort, and Edge looked him over. His eye lights were wide, shaking a little in his sockets, but otherwise he looked fine. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, shifting to hold Nancy with one arm so he could reach out to his love. 

Rus nodded. “just...that’s a good look for you.”

Edge snorted. “I’m sure.” He took a moment to appreciate the soft scent wafting from the baby in his arms. She was light and pleasant in his hold, and he couldn’t deny that holding her made him feel good. 

This was why he did what he did. Their world was in a constant state of danger. Should even one zombie get in through their defenses or should one person enter who had even a trace of infection, their whole compound could be gone within a week. But with him and the others doing their jobs, it was a safe place for families to raise their children. 

He smiled once more at the baby before returning her to her mother. 

“thank you,” Rus said for him when he failed to speak it.

“Of course you’re welcome,” Cathy said with a smile. “We’ll leave you alone now.” She turned to her husband who nodded at Edge and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. 

* * *

Later that evening, after showers and dinner and several rounds of enthusiastic sex, Rus lay tucked safely against Edge’s side in their soft bed. 

“have you ever thought about having kids?” Rus asked, running his fingers over Edge’s sternum. 

“Honestly? No.” He leaned in to kiss Rus’ forehead. “Have you?”

He shifted to snuggle closer to Edge and nuzzled his face along his shoulder. “with you, yeah.”

“With  _ me _ ?” 

Rus went still for a moment before he leaned back just enough to look up. “who else?” he asked, his tone meant to be joking wavered just a little. 

Edge looked into his honey eye lights for a few long moments before he swallowed and took a deep breath. “Anyone else, Rus. I’m not...good parent material.”

“well, that was a delightful conversation.” Rus pushed himself up and started to crawl out of bed. “i’m gonna go do something else now.”  Without so much as a glance back at Edge, he snagged his robe off the back of the door before leaving the room.

Edge sighed to himself and looked up at the ceiling. As much as he loved Rus, he couldn’t help but feel like he only made him angry anymore. Sure, they had good sex, but was it worth it to fight for something if that was all it was? Rus said he loved him back, but how much of that was just because he felt he owed Edge?

He was so tired. He just wanted to sleep, but he wanted Rus beside him. Not having him there only felt wrong, especially when he knew Rus was probably out in the living room thinking of all the things Edge could have meant when he suggested he have kids with someone else. 

With an irritated sigh, he got up and slipped on a pair of Rus’ pants laying by the bed before he made his way out to the living room.

As he’d expected, Rus was curled up on the couch with his left arm wrapped around his legs. The stump of his right arm was laying on his knees. 

Edge walked over and sat next to Rus. He reached out to try to hold his hand and wasn’t even a little surprised when he pulled back. 

“I’m sorry,” Edge said softly. 

“i love you, edge,” Rus whispered. He sniffled and shook his head. 

“I know.”

He looked up then, his eye lights blazing despite their small size. “do you?”

“Rus--”

“you say you know that i love you and that you love me back, but do you really? why in the name of fuck would you say that i should have kids with someone else? i don’t want kids with anyone else. i want kids with you. if you don’t want ‘em, then fine, we don’t have kids, but don’t you ever say that again, edge. not ever.” 

“Why are you willing to give that up for me?” Edge asked, desperate for the answer. 

“give what up? i don’t have any little brats yet, do i? there’s nothing to give up, and if you think i love the idea of kids running around and tripping me wherever i go more than i love the idea of spending the rest of my life with you, then you’re so wrong. i thought you knew me.”

His face fell then, a kind of dread taking the place of his anger, and it physically hurt Edge to see it. He wanted nothing more than to pull Rus into his lap and soothe whatever was hurting him. 

“you...you don’t want that, do you?” he finally breathed. 

“Want what? Rus, tell me what’s--”

“you don’t want me.” He pulled himself in tighter and sniffled. “that’s why you’re always leaving, isn’t it? to get away from--”

“Rus, stop this right now,” Edge snapped. He tugged on Rus’ arm, untangling him and pulling him over onto his lap. “Listen to me; I love you so much. I want nothing more than to spend my life with you. I’m sorry that I only seem to be able to upset you. It’s not my intention, and I hope you can forgive me.”

Rus clung to him as tightly as he could. He shook his head and sucked in a ragged breath. He was silent for a long while, just holding Edge and breathing unsteadily until he finally spoke. 

“it’s not you, edge; it’s this life.”

He was quiet again for a minute. Before Edge could ask him what he meant, he spoke again.  

“when i was a kid, i would daydream about what i’d be when i grew up, who i’d be. and, y’know, it was nothing like this. i was always gonna be some big shot scientist doctor who worked on satellites and interstellar telescopes.” 

He stopped for a second and shook his head. “i was one semester away from finishing my master’s degree. i already had my statement of purpose all written out and my resume done up all fancy for my application into the doctoral program. i had even been granted access to the mind behind the pilgrim satellite! nobody knew her name, the only thing anyone knew about her was that she was a woman. i had to sign a waiver stating i wouldn’t release her name or any information about her or else i’d get this huge fine and be sent to prison for the rest of my life. crazy, right?” He huffed half in amusement, half in painful recollection. “i was gonna try to ask her to be one of my letters of recommendation.”

He sniffled and sighed before he spoke again. “it was two days before my flight when the outbreak was confirmed and all flights were grounded.” Shaking his head again, he changed the subject. “did you ever do that? think of what you wanted to be when you grew up?”

Edge didn’t say anything for a long moment. Although Rus knew a bit about Edge’s childhood, he didn’t know the true horror of it. He didn’t know that Edge’s only dream when he was a kid was to live past seven years old. And then it became to live past eight. And so on. 

When his father finally died when Edge was eleven years old, he’d traded one horror for another. Red was old enough to claim custody of him, which he did fiercely and protectively, and they had to learn to live on their own. With Gaster, they’d at least had food in the fridge and a relatively comfortable place to sleep. His dream then became living past his early teenage years so he could get a job and help out. 

He’d enlisted in the military as soon as he’d been old enough, tempted by the money and the sense of belonging. Red had encouraged him, even if he’d been a little jealous. He couldn’t enlist himself due to his eyesight; he was blind in one eye thanks to their father. 

Military had been everything Edge could have ever wanted. He learned quickly that his superiors were not out to hurt him, regardless of how loud they yelled. They never laid a hand on him, never gave him more duties than he could realistically handle. They wanted him to succeed, and succeed he did. 

Right up until he was sent out to an active war zone. He knew his mission. He knew his orders. He ignored them in favor of trying to save a few of his comrades, and he’d paid for it. Enemy fire had wounded him, sent him home and earned him an honorable discharge. 

From then on, it was him and his brother, living comfortably on his military stipend. 

And then, the outbreak happened. 

So, no, this was not the life he had envisioned for himself, but he had never had the time nor the luxury to daydream of another life, either. 

Edge finally shook his head and hugged Rus a little tighter. “No, I never did that.” 

Rus nodded and leaned back just enough to look at him. “i’m sorry, edge. i’m sorry i’m such a pissy brat.” 

Edge let himself lean in to steal a kiss. “I wouldn’t have you any other way.”

It brought a smile to Rus’ mouth. “i think having you home more often will help. every time you leave, i can’t help but think of what i’d do if you never came home. i’d move back in with my brother, probably. i just...it hurts so much to think about it, but i can’t stop myself.” 

“I know. People like you, incomprehensibly smart as you are, can’t turn your minds off. My brother was like that. Always thinking, despite how often his thoughts turned sour and tried to eat him alive.” 

“do you think about him often?” Rus asked. His fingers played lightly along Edge’s clavicle, soothing instead of teasing. 

“Yes. Not as much as before, and it doesn’t hurt as much either. But yes, I do think of him often. I think he would have loved a place like this, even before the outbreak. A place where food and shelter are a given so long as you do your share for the community. I suppose that might be why I fight so hard to keep it safe. That, and I know the moment this compound is compromised is the moment our way of life ends.”

Rus nodded and leaned in to rest against Edge’s chest. “speaking of the outbreak, i think we might be getting closer to a vaccine.”

“Oh yeah?” Edge rubbed his back gently. “Tell me about it.”

“well, we don’t have anything really to test it on, just our lab equipment, but when we tested our latest concoction on human cells, the white ones were able to kill off almost all of the virus. not completely, though, and it still started to spread, so we’re close but not there yet.”

Edge nodded, smiling to himself as he silently thanked Rus for dumbing down his words enough for him to understand. He hated when Edge actually said that, arguing that Edge was not dumb, so he kept it to himself. 

“I’m so proud of you and the work you do, Rus. You know that, right?”

He felt Rus smile against his bones. “yeah, i know.” He sucked in a huge yawn and snuggled closer. 

They stayed up talking the rest of the night, despite their obligations in the morning. Neither wanted to care; they just wanted to be with each other.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small warning for an instance of homophobia and the use of a homophobic slur.

Working in the medical sciences building had multiple benefits, especially when Rus realized he was only a hop, skip, and a jump away from Alphys, the brain behind all of the compound’s technological advances. She had pretty much created everything from their communication systems to their military vehicles and so on. 

They had become fast friends one day during lunch when they found themselves talking about solar power. Their conversation had shifted multiple times during their hour in the lunchroom, going from relatively polite to an all-out geekfest over some of the last advances in space exploration before the outbreak happened.

Rus could hardly contain his inner fanboy when he found out she had spearheaded the mission to photograph some of the furthest reaches of space with the culmination of her life’s work, the Pilgrim telescope. He had told her about his planned meeting with her, and she said she would like to think she would have given him that recommendation.

He’d be lying if he said he didn’t use their friendship to his advantage when it came to keeping tabs on the survivors Edge brought home with him after any successful mission. At least, for a week or two so he could tell Edge about any trouble they may be having or let him know about their successes. 

Alphys was always willing to help him out. A part of her job was using her surveillance and communications technology to look out for potential problems anyway, and newcomers were always top on her priority to spy on.

Kaden had gotten the medical care he needed, and while he had to stay in the hospital for three nights, he was doing well. His parents had both been assigned work and only the day before had been given the keys to a new house not two blocks from where Edge and Rus lived. 

Peter and John were quickly separated after it was noted that they fed off each other’s instigation. They fought it, of course, but only a single meeting with Asgore and two other of the compound’s leaders was needed before they agreed to the terms they were given. 

John was assigned to work in the crop fields, his physicality and stamina a great fit for manual labor. After a week of showing that he could be on time for work and actually yield results, he was given a small apartment close to Blue. 

Peter was assigned work in the schools. He was much smarter than he seemed, and especially after being separated from John, he seemed to be a great fit tutoring the students. He was also offered a studio apartment in a complex across the compound from his former companion.

One day after work, Rus decided he wanted to go visit his brother. He took the time to walk through the fields, admiring the beauty of the trees in autumn and enjoying the sun on his skull. 

“Hey, Lieutenant!”

He stopped in his tracks and looked around, half expecting to see Edge nearby and half worried about what it might mean if he was. He’d have to have left work early, and he never did that. 

A man Rus recognized as John jogged up to him. “Oh...you’re not the lieutenant.”

Rus smirked. “nope, i’m not. hi, i’m rus. i’m edge’s boyfriend.” He held out his hand for a shake. 

“His...boyfriend?” 

“yep. i hear you’re doing pretty good in the fields. the fall harvest will be coming up in a couple weeks, and let me tell you, the entire compound is grateful for all you guys do. those apples don’t pick themselves and pies need to be baked.”

Rus probably should have realized he’d said something wrong when John didn’t say much back. He just nodded and hummed before turning and leaving without so much as a goodbye. 

Still, he didn’t think anything of it and went on his way to find his brother. 

Blue was always delighted to see Rus, and this was no exception. They talked for a while over Blue’s desk, and Rus always took delight in seeing his brother’s frustration when he refused to leave the little trinkets on his desk alone. 

Computers were not exactly rare in the compound, but they were only used for business or military purposes as the time it took to develop software was too much to spend on frivolous things like games. The same went with phones and other communication devices. Unless a person had a medical necessity that required them to have a way to contact another person in an emergency, they were reserved for business who required communication and the military. 

The cool part about that was, because Edge was in the military, their home had been fitted with a phone in case he needed to be called in at night. They weren’t allowed to use it for any other purpose, but Rus couldn’t deny he felt special because of it.

All the same, the little trinkets on Blue’s desk, sitting cutely next to his monitor, were all important to him. They had all come from their childhood, and Rus could never help himself from touching a few of them as memories crowded his mind. 

He didn’t stay long. As soon as Blue got off work, they walked together to his place where he gave him a hug and they said their goodbyes. 

If he hurried, he’d get home in time to meet his boyfriend at the door. 

He didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary as he turned the corner and walked swiftly down the sidewalk. He had passed Meredith and Thomas’ house on the way and thought about stopping to see how they were doing, but decided against it. He wanted to see Edge. 

As he stepped foot on the grass of their yard, someone stepped up behind him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders in a hard grip. It only took a half a second to realize it wasn’t Edge; this person was too thick, too meaty to be his baby. 

“what the fu--”

“Shut up!” John spat, taking hold of his left arm to keep him from flailing. “Just shut up, you faggot piece of trash!”

The word stung, shocked him into silence. It had been a very long time since he’d been bullied over his sexuality. The last time he could remember was when he was still studying for his bachelor’s degree. 

Monsters didn’t typically have names for their sexualities. They loved who they loved and that was the end of it. Humans always had to make things difficult with their labels and assumptions and rules. 

“let me go, john,” he said as calmly as he could. “edge is going to be home any minute, and you know he’ll be pissed.”

“Yeah? Pissed enough to hurt me?”

Well, shit. Probably, but he didn’t want to say that. John was counting on it, eager to get Edge in trouble. Instead of answering, Rus sucked in a calming breath and told himself that he was going to be okay. John wouldn’t hurt him too badly if Edge was his end goal. At least, he hoped he wouldn’t. 

His hold on Rus suddenly stilled, becoming vice-tight. He didn’t move, he’d even stopped breathing. 

“Do you mind telling me what the fuck you’re doing here?” Edge’s voice was dark, laced with danger.

“Uhh…” 

Rus tried to move, to see Edge standing behind John, but the arms around him were too tight. “edge?”

“Are you okay, Rus?” he asked, his voice moving around John. He finally came into Rus’ view, and he realized why John and frozen up. 

Edge held out a gun, the barrel now held right up against John’s temple. 

Rus nodded. “yeah, i’m okay. he just scared me is all.”

Edge hummed. “I see.” He turned his attention back to John. “Are you going to answer my question? What are you doing here?”

John managed to clear his throat. “You didn’t tell me I was taking orders from a fucking gay monster,” he managed. 

“Should I have? Would it have made it easier for you? Perhaps you’d also like to know that I’m an orphan, my father beat me when he was still alive, or that I’m a fucking Capricorn. Any of that make it easier to know who you’re taking orders from? Let him go and maybe I’ll consider letting you live.”

He cocked the gun to show his intent and narrowed his sockets. “I’d hate to kill anyone in front of him, but you’d hardly be my first.”

“You’d kill a man just for touching your boyfriend? Does this compound really need someone like you? That seems kinda reckless, doesn’t it?” He smirked as if he had it all figured out. 

Edge smirked back. “Oh, no. I’d kill a man for stalking and attempting to kidnap my boyfriend. And I would sure as fuck kill a man for trying to hurt him. Do you have any idea what kind of surveillance we have around here? We’re a small community, John. There’s less than five hundred of us here, and one person with an ill will could compromise our entire mission. If you think for one fucking second the military hasn’t been watching you like a hawk, you’re dead wrong. You have a clear problem with authority. You hate people who are different from you, which includes women, monsters, and anyone you see as ‘dirty’ for their way of life. You talked about hurting Rus today for the way he chooses to love. I heard you. I watched you. I would absolutely kill you for it.”

Without another word, John let Rus go. He scrambled away, only far enough that he’d be out of the splatter zone if things went wrong. He prayed for Edge’s sake that it didn’t. He tried so hard to protect and save everyone, and killing someone--even someone as horrible as John--would hurt him immensely.

“Okay, listen, I didn’t hurt him. I’m surrendering, okay?”

“You’re damn fucking right you are.”

Edge uncocked the gun and settled it back in its holster before he waved a signal and several of Edge’s colleagues came out either from around corners or out of bushes to take John away. 

Rus let himself be pulled into Edge’s hard embrace, his arms shaking around him. 

“Are you okay?” he asked. 

He nodded. “i am now. i knew you’d be there, edge. i knew you’d stop him.”

Edge kissed his head and led the way into the house. After shutting and locking the door, they went to sit on the couch together. He still held Rus almost too tightly.

“i’m fine, babe,” Rus said softly. “just fine.”

“I know, but that shouldn’t have ever happened. I watched him make his plans. I could have stopped him before he even got that far.” 

“did you know he was going to try it today?”

Edge shook his head. “Not until about ten minutes after he left work and one of the guys he works with said something about getting the room ready for tonight. I’m so sorry I wasn’t here sooner.”

Rus pulled back and kissed him. “hey, none of that. all he did was get his hands on me, nothing more. why don’t we channel that aggressive energy rushing through your bones to something better, huh?”

“No. Not tonight, Rus, I’m afraid I’d actually hurt you.”

He smirked and nuzzled Edge’s cheekbone. “i was actually referring to making dinner because i’m starving.”

Edge allowed himself a smile and nodded. “That I can do. I love you.”

“i love you, too.” 

They got up and made dinner together while they talked about their days. They kept the conversation light, allowing Edge to relax naturally. Mostly, he just listened as Rus talked.

Alphys had offered to make him a prosthetic arm. At first, he’d been mildly offended; he could do just fine with one arm, thank you very much. The more he thought about it, however, the more he realized she was only trying to help. And, truthfully, it would be pretty cool to have two arms again. It would be even better to have a robot arm with lasers and drill bits and maybe even some tweezers. Hell, they could probably throw a nail file in there somewhere just for shits and giggles. 

In short, he’d agreed to be Alphy’s guinea pig for prosthetics and was looking forward to challenging her with all the cool things he wanted added on. 

Edge and Rus talked for a while longer before heading to bed. Rus held Edge tightly, savoring Edge’s equally tight hold. 

“would you love me any less if i had a robot arm?” Rus asked, breaking the silence. 

Edge snorted. “Of course not, you silly skeleton.”

“okay, but would you love me more?”

“That depends.”

Rus did his best to lean up, propping himself up on his stump. “on what?” 

Edge rearranged his hold to help Rus stay propped up without having to have his weight resting entirely on his stump. He knew that could be rather painful. 

“On what you can do with it.”

“i was telling you not even an hour ago about how i’d be able to drill and screw endlessly. robotics don’t have a stamina limit, y’know?”

Edge smirked. “In that case, no, I would not love you more when you’re making twice the sex jokes you already do.”

“aw, c’mon, that was funny.” Rus pouted. 

“No, it wasn’t, but I still love you anyway. Lie back down.” 

Rus snuggled back up to Edge’s side. “i love you, too, edge. goodnight.”

Edge hugged him tenderly and kissed his skull.

They fell asleep that night with hope in their souls for the future of the compound, for their lives. Eventually, they would broach the subject of marriage. Edge would admit that while he knows Rus isn’t big on the idea, he wants to show him, and the world, that he loves and trusts Rus with his entire life. Rus will agree; the concept still isn’t one he completely agrees with, but he knows how much it means to Edge, and that is worth putting a little faith in.

John and those he'd talked into helping him would face a trial for attempted harm against another citizen of the compound. Those who had agreed to help would be faced with fines, paid through community service or extra hours put in on the fields. John would be given one last chance to obey the rules of the compound. He would be ordered to work with a volunteer counselor to overcome his troubles. Should he break their laws again, even a minor one, he would be deemed unfit to live in a civilized community and cast out of the compound. 

The threat of zombies was an everyday one, something that neither skeleton could ever forget. But, for a moment, wrapped up in each other, they could ignore it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that was a fun ride! Thank you to everyone who showed an interest or supported me in this story, I cannot express how much I appreciate all of your comments, be they here, on twitter, or tumblr. I love them all!


End file.
